Improvement in flax-dressing machines



n. s. .ABBOTT.

Flax Dressing Machine.

Patented June 12; 1866.

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DAVID S. ABBOTT, OF ISCHUA, NET V YORK.

IMPRQVEMENT IN FLAX-DRESSING MACHINES.

Specification forming partof Letters Patent No. 55,446, dated June 12, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID S. ABBOTT, of Ischua, in the county of Oattaraugus and State of New York, have invented a new and useful improvement in Flax- Dressing Machines; and I do hereby declare that the fol lowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side view of a machine made according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the clamp H.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

The object of this invention is the improvement of machines for dressing flax and hemp; and it consistsin several novel features, one ofwhich is the form of the blades of the breakers, such blades being made with curves near their ends so as to throw the flax toward the middle of the bench and prevent it from getting outside of the arms and winding up on the shafts. Another feature is placing one end of the forward roller, which carries the feedapron, in a movable bearing, which can be swung out in order to clean the roller of flax. Another feature is plaoinga clamp of novel construction upon the feed-table, which holds the flax or hemp firmly while under the operation of the machine.

The letter A designates the frame of the bench, which supports the shafts of the boaters and the other operating devices of the machine. B designates the arms of the heaters, and O the blades. Said blades are curved on their edges, as shown in Fig. 2, for the purpose of crowding the flax or hemp toward the center of the machine, in this example the curved portions of their edges being situated at the ends of the blades, while the middle portion is left straight; but, if desired, the whole extent of the blade may be curved like an arc of a circle. The effect, whether the blades are curved through their whole length or only at each end, as here shown, is to draw the flax away from the ends of the blades and crowd it toward their middle parts. The heaters are rotated from a pulley, R, on the shaft of the upper beater, the motion of such shaft being connnunicated to the shaft of the lower beater by means of gear-wheels D, placed on each shaft and gearing together, as shown in the drawing.

The letter B designates'a feed-table, which slides forward and backward on ways proprovided at the front part of the frame. To the inner edge of the sliding table is attached an apron, F, which is carried over a roller, S, whose journals revolve in boxes on the top of the frame; but one of the boxes is made so as to be movable by being constructed in the forward end of a bar, J, which is hinged at K, so as to be capable of being swung outward. It is held in place on the frame by a button, S.

When the ends of the roller become foul and clogged with strands of flax or hemp, or with refuse therefrom, the button is turned down and the movable box is swung out from the frame so as to allow the roller to be taken out of the machine and cleaned. The free end of the apron is turned under the roller S,and is connected to the table E by means of cords, which are carried toward the left-hand end of the frame o'ver pulleys G G (for which a roller may be substituted if desired) and fastened to the bottom of said table.

I is a rest, consisting of a strong bar extending across the frame between the roller S and the path of the blades of the upper beater. The stock extends over this rest, and is supported thereon against the action of the upper beater. The shaft T of the lower beater is almost directly beneath the rest I, and its blades revolve beneath the rest and strike the stock on its under side. The arms of the two beaters are so arranged on their respective shafts that they and their blades extend into each others interspaces, and the edges of the blades of the upper beater strike downward on the stock; but those of the lower beater strike it in a horizontal line in the direction of the shaft of the upper beater, so that the sheave is stripped both from the upper and under sides of the bunch of flax.

The flax is held on the the table E and apron Fby means of a clamp, H, which reaches across the table, and is hinged by one end to one edge of the table, as at 0, so that it may be turned to an upright position, as shown in Fig. 1. When the clamp is down it is held secure by a lever, N, pivoted between two standards that rise from the frame on the side opposite to that where the clamp is hinged. The shorter end of said lever has a hook, R, that comes beneath the free end of the clamp and pries it up when the flax is to be turned or taken away. The top of the clamp is provided with a handle, M, which the operator seizes when the clamp is to be turned up. The shape of the clamp is that of an open parallelogram, its opening extending through it for nearly its whole length, so as to allow it to close down over the vertical plate L, which rises from the table E. The lower faces of the longer sides of the clamp are cushioned with rubber cush ions P, or other suitable elastic material, confined between vertical plates QU, which plates serve to make recesses for the cushions. The cushions, when the clamp is down, come opposite the edges of upright plates V V, so that the flax is held with an elastic grasp. The plates V V and plate L in this example rise from a flat plate, W, which is fastened on the top of the table E; but they may be set directly on that table.

The operator, when flax or hemp is placed beneath the clamp, holds the end of the lever N with suitable force. and the hinged end of the clamp is adjusted to the right height from the table by means of a screw which rises from the hinge, going through the clamp, an elastic washer being placed on the screw above the clamp, and the clamp and washer being confined on the screw by a nut. The flax is placed on the table and secured by lowering the clamp H, when the table is pushed forward to subject that portion of the flax which projects beyond the clamp to the action of the heaters. When that portion is sufficiently dressed the clamp is raised and the flax is turned end for end to subject the other portion to the be'aters.

I have here shown six blades on each beater; but they maybe increased or decreased in numher, if desired.

When the lever N is thrown back its hook R is brought over the place occupied by the free end of the clamp, and consequently, when theclamp is brought down,it strikes the hook and so brings the lever over the clamp without requiring the operator to reach for it.

By means of this improvement I am enabled to dress flax without having previously broken it in a breaking-i'nachine.

I do not claim arranging two series of scutching-bars on two sets of hubs and arms which rotate in opposite directions, and the bars constituting each series pas in g in the spaces between the bars constituting the other series and near the axis of rotation; but

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. Making the blades of the heaters ot' flaxdressing machines with a curve that rises toward their ends, substantially as described.

2. Making one of the boxes for the journals of the apron -roller S movable, so that that roller can be taken out and cleaned at pleasure, substantially as described.

3. The clamp H, constructed substantially as described, applied to the feed-table of a flax-dressing machine.

DAVID S. ABBOTT.

Witnesses ALBERT ARNOLD, O. B. SHOTWELL. 

